to find the cost of freedom
On August 15, 1947,
Two self governing countries legally came into existence.
Based on 1951 Census of displaced persons,
immediately after partition.
7,226,000 Muslims went to Pakistan from India
7,249,000 Hindus and Sikhs moved to India from Pakistan.
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Partition of India: why? and for what?
Between the 7th and the 14th centuries.
Islamic rulers invaded a non muslim northern India.
From the early 16th century
the muslim Mughal Empire ruled most of India from Delhi.
until the 19th century,
defeated by the British and becoming powerless and perhaps discontent.
The Muslims represented approximately 23% of the population of British India.
In 1885,
the Indian National Congress had been founded.
With it an Indian nationalist movement developed.
The Congress invited the Muslim community to join in in their bid for independence.
But most, not all, of the Muslims remained reluctant to join the Party,
they remained suspicious of the mainstream, secular but Hindu-majority Congress.
In 1906,
instead they founded the All India Muslim League.
Which became the driving force behind the partition of British India.
Many Hindu and British writers have alleged that the Muslim League was founded at official instigation. They argue that it was Lord Minto who inspired the establishment of a Muslim organization so as to divide the Congress and to minimize the strength of the Indian Freedom Movement. But these statements are not supported by evidence.
Contrary to this, the widely accepted view is that the Muslim League was basically established to protect and advance the Muslim interests and to combat the growing influence of the Indian National Congress.
In 1930,
at a convention of the Muslim League,
Muhammed Iqbal, in his presidential address on December 29
outlined a vision of an independent state for Muslim-majority provinces.
“I would like to see the Punjab, North-West Frontier Province, Sind and Baluchistan amalgamated into a single state. Self-government within the British Empire, or without the British Empire, the formation of a consolidated Northwest Indian Muslim state appears to me to be the final destiny of the Muslims, at least of Northwest India.”
He was the first politician to forward the Two-Nation Theory — that
Muslims were a distinct nation and deserved political independence
from other regions and communities of India.
Most of the Congress leaders were secularists.
They opposed the division of India on the lines of religion.
Mahatma Gandhi believed that Hindus and Muslims could and should live in amity.
He opposed the partition, saying,
“ My whole soul rebels against the idea that Hinduism and Islam represent two antagonistic cultures and doctrines. To assent to such a doctrine is for me a denial of God”.
The Muslims got what they desired.
The “Radcliffe line” had been drawn, that sealed the fate of millions.
1951 Census of displaced persons:
14.5 million people crossed the borders to
what they hoped was the relative safety of religious majority.
While the Death Toll as a result of Partition of India 1947:
Taken from:
Secondary Wars and Atrocities of the Twentieth Century
14 estimates, between
200,000: World Almanac 1984
1,000,000: D.Smith, B&J (1945-48), Hartman, Wolpert – A New History of India (1993)The median of these 14 estimates is 500,000.
How many of these were alive to reach the ‘safety’ of destinations unknown?
At that instant when the camera’s shutters clicked
on these homeless and penniless hundreds,
what were their thousand thoughts?
Just frightened emptiness?
The Two Nation Theory
had declared that Pakistan would be for all Muslims of India
but in reality it split them into three divisions across the subcontinent.
The northwest was already a muslim majority area, they didn’t need protection,
and it failed to protect the muslims elsewhere, where as minorities, they needed it.
Carving up a country for whatever reason will always extract a heavy price.
Regardless of the motives of the chief players behind the partition,
the price had to be paid by innocent millions and is still
being paid by their children and grandchildren.
By hindus and ironically also the muslims.
But do we not learn from history?
Kashmir, Kosovo, Palestine and very possibly Iraq.
If the minority predominant areas of Bradford UK seeks independance,
will the British Parliament as readily dig out their rusty old carving knives? I wonder.
[Photographs: BBC and Wikipedia]
one1india
India
history
independance
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Ronnie Ann said this on August 15th, 2007 at 00:06
Wonderful post. Nicely presented and points well made. Sigh. If only we would learn from these painful historical lessons.
little indian said this on August 15th, 2007 at 00:23
Thanks Ronnie Ann.
It was your post of the other day that set me thinking.
it seems with every passing year,
we are getting better and quicker at forgeting history.
Or is that ignoring history?
Thanks for stopping by.
bachodi said this on August 15th, 2007 at 14:30
Booyy .. wonderful compilation.
Please update wikipedia…. It needs to go there.
little indian said this on August 15th, 2007 at 16:44
Thanks Bachodi,
I presume wikipedia has to be purely factual and neutral.
I guess this don’t qualify, as it still is my opinion.
But am really glad to have your approval.
It still frightens me (a bit) to write on any political issues.
fairlane said this on August 16th, 2007 at 15:13
Little,
You do a great job with your historical pieces. Well researched, and written.
I often wonder if the world will ever see a man/woman like Gandhi again or if we are breeding that type of person out of the gene pool.
little indian said this on August 16th, 2007 at 15:30
thanks fairlane,
as I grow up (older 🙂 ) I feel compelled to understand “why”.
When young, my knowledge was restricted
to the books I could get hold of
or the media’s interpretations.
I have also heard about our freedom struggle from my Ma,
she was 17 when India became independant.
But the internet gives me the opportunity to read,
corelate and countercheck to try and get to the truth by myself.
I am not very trusting kind of person, I’m afraid.
It is difficult to answer your question about Gandhi.
The world has changed since his days,
I doubt if his way would achieve anything in the materialistic world of todays.
Thanks again for stopping by and your thoughts.
pawandurani said this on August 16th, 2007 at 18:48
The Kind of research you do in ur writing and presenting facts is amazing….u have 1 fan more
little indian said this on August 16th, 2007 at 19:15
We are all friends here, Pawan, not fans. 🙂
I welcome you to join in with us
we all believe in human rights.
Thanks again for stopping by.
shuz said this on August 17th, 2007 at 06:30
that was an extremely passionate blog. yes we did pay a price, and now, there is nothing we can do about it!
happy I-Day 🙂
see ya
little indian said this on August 17th, 2007 at 07:31
Thanks Shuz,
except maybe learn from the mistake,
splitting up a country to ‘protect’ the minorities
only creates new minorities in each new fragment created.
Thanks for stopping by, and your thoughts
happy IDay to you too,
you, of the young generation, have so much to look ahead for.
pawandurani said this on August 18th, 2007 at 04:53
Na Boss, there is always something to learn …. and i am trying to learn from you…..
I am eagerly waiting for your write up about Kashmir & Kashmiri pandits.
Pawan Durani
http://www.thekashmir.wordpress.com
bendtherulz said this on August 18th, 2007 at 14:38
Greetings ~
Just an hour to kill..before I pick my friend from airport and be on road 🙂
– I think that time was quite scary for many people, even though ( minorities on each side) might have preferred to stay back- however there was no support instead they were pshyced up enough to just up and leave…I suppose for them that must have seemed much easier to bear then face uncertainty/hostile environment. (basing my views from what I have read )
Have you seen “Garam Hawa” or Train to Pakistan !!
What actually happened between Jinnah/Gandhi/ Nehru ?? & Mt B – If Gandhi was not for Partition and that time this figure was commanding respect from all quarters….!! ( His Stayagrah stopped many riots before partition actually took place….) then who was in favour for 2 Nations theory ???
Definitely not the common people.
I don’t think we will ever have answers to any of those ???
Reading your post is always a pleasure….!
Have a great weekend !!
Tk care ~
little indian said this on August 18th, 2007 at 14:48
Hi my Rulzbending friend,
and here i was thinking
you were running and dancing
amongst the flowers a la Bollywood.
(shouldn’t it be Mollywood now?)
The two nations theory was put forward by the Muslim League, and approved by the British Parliament and made into an Act of Government.
Gandhi couldn’t do anything to stop it. (That is another story)
Have a great trek, and bring back some lovely photos.
bendtherulz said this on August 18th, 2007 at 16:02
LOL…my time has not come so far….I would love to make others dance ….aka Gabbar style !!
Hope to see more “provoking the thought” post…!
Thanks a ton
earthpal said this on August 18th, 2007 at 20:06
Thanks for such an informative and well written post Little Indian.
It’s an education coming in here.
Humans never seem to grasp the concept of learning from history. It seems we are doomed to repeat the same mistakes over and over.
little indian said this on August 18th, 2007 at 21:50
Thanks earthie,
August is a special month for me.
My birthday falls on a day
America dropped one of their A-bombs on Japan.
I have grown up looking at pictures of mushroom clouds
on newspaper frontapages on every birthday mornings.
Gradually the realities of that horror sank in.
From a very young age,
my Ma used to tell me stories of the Indian struggle for independance.
This is my first August as a blogger,
all those memories were swirling in my mind and my conscience.
I had to put it down in writing.
Thanks for your feedback, as always I was waiting to hear from you.
earthpal said this on August 19th, 2007 at 11:44
My birthday is in August too.
I can see how you would always associate your birthday with the A-bombs. Well, on a date when something truly awful happened, at least something good occurred – you were born. 🙂
little indian said this on August 19th, 2007 at 12:21
You mean a ‘stork’ lost its navigation
and dropped a dud bomb on Calcutta?
Too right. 🙂
Are we fellow Leos, then?
earthpal said this on August 19th, 2007 at 13:31
Lol.
No, I’m Virgo but not always typically so. My birthday is near the end of August.
granderBharata said this on August 21st, 2007 at 13:25
hmm
well my take on this issue is this.
I think its good india got partitioned.Whats horrible is the way partition was handled.
23% muslims 75% hindus would have been a nightmare.The british had for nearly 50 years played the card of divide and rule. the scars between the two coomunities were deep. Governing the country would have been impossible.There would always be riots on streets.
I actually lived through the mumbai riots.(about hmm 6-7 years old then about summer time ). The riots taught me one thing.Its better off to be friendly neighbours than unhappy brothers.
little indian said this on August 21st, 2007 at 13:44
Hi GranderBharat,
thanks for stopping by, and your comments.
That is a good way of thinking,
“friendly neighbours than unhappy brothers”,
Unfortunately in our case,
our neighbour had no intentions of being friendly.
And the unhappy brothers who decided to stay have more
sympathy for the unfriendly neighbours than their own family.
and at the slightest opportunity will hold siege from within.
And I agree, the relationship between
the two religious communities had been destroyed by the British.
The sole reason why the Muslim league was formed, to split from India.
But I can’t help thinking what
would have happened if the country had not been divided.
If the British before leaving had insisted on us finding ways
of living together in a true democracy and secular harmony.
If that had been a condition of independance.
As I have said India was a Non muslim land before the mughals invaded.
The invaders should not be given the opportunity to demand a separate state.
The last two lines is the same question I ask the present British Government.
granderbharata said this on August 21st, 2007 at 17:16
hmm well littleindian about the mughals. Most of the muslim population in India are not the mughals. they are the indegenous(aryan and dravidian) peoples of that land who have been converted to islam by the mughals. Plus on the issue of invaders, the aryans invading the dravidians 5000 years ago hmm the same question arises.
You have to face the fact. Each to his own way. thats what I say.
I agree our neighbours are not friendly. But atleast there are not continual secretarian bloodbath’s taking place. Plus during partition thats what most of the people wanted. Two nations.
little indian said this on August 21st, 2007 at 18:07
Granderbharata,
I agree,
that the not all the muslim population were mughals but converts.
But Islam was brought to the Indus and Gangetic plains
by Mughals who converted indigenous people to Islam,
(though not always by peaceful means.)
That’s all the more reasons that “Indian” hindus and muslims
would have been able to live with each other.
Yes we each have our own ways,
but everytime a country is partitioned, with every divide
there will be new minorities created on each side of the dividing lines
leading to mass poverty, refugee and migration and killings.
how many ways do you split a country?
Seperation can never be perfect.
granderbharata said this on August 21st, 2007 at 19:00
true
but look at india
we have emerged from the separation quite well.
look at Pakistan spilt further into two.
separation can go both ways.It can be good. It can be bad.
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